Semiconductor devices are commonly sorted into different categories based on performance characteristics determined during test by specialized processing equipment. Transport media include any fixture or carrier designed for transporting semiconductor devices internal or external to the processing equipment. An example is a plastic tray as specified by the JEDEC Design Standard. In most cases, the processing equipment has a vision system and a lighting system to aid in identifying and sorting the devices.
Generally, conventional lighting systems for processing equipment provide low intensity lighting. Conventional systems typically use a single light bar to provide lighting for line scanning functions. The single light bar may provide sufficient illumination to allow a scanning camera to detect contrast in color and contrast in texture. However, scanners using conventional lighting do not clearly discern the difference of manufacturing texture from two dimensional data matrix code texture. Moreover, due to the characteristics of the single light bar contrast in color and contrast in texture can not be detected simultaneously. To detect either contrast in color or contrast in texture the light bar must be physically repositioned. Further, in conventional lighting systems surface mount LEDs are used. In some instances, repositioning the LEDs affords a line scanner the opportunity to capture more accurate images. However, surface mount LEDs are difficult to reposition. Therefore, a lighting system having a large exposure area is needed that can reduce texture noise and detect contrast in color and texture with minimal configuration. Further, the lighting system should provide high performance and longevity at a low cost.